ArtistInfo

Johnnie Mae Matthews

voc, p, 1922-2002 US, Bessemer, Alabama
Singer / Musician / Songwriter / Producer of R&B/Soul

Singer, pianist, producer, songwriter and record executive. Born on 31.12.1922 in Bessemer, Alabama Died on 06.01.2002. Nicknamed the Godmother of Detroit soul, as she founded Detroit's Northern Recording Company in 1958, a label where quite a few future Motown stars started their recording career. Johnnie Mae founded many other record labels in Detroit including Reel Records (4), Bon Records, Jam Records (12), Art Records (6) (named after her husband), Audrey Records (3) (named after her daughter), Big Hit Records and Tank Records (5). As a recording artist she was most active during the 1960s. During the 1970s she mainly focused on producing Black Nasty, later reincarnated as the ADC Band, a group that featured her son Artwell Matthews on drums and her daughter Audrey Matthews as a lead singer.

Instruments

• Vocals
• Piano

Genres

• R&B/Soul
• Blues
• Jazz

Plays With